R.S Hispaniola

Just a quick shout out to the lovely R S Hispaniola. My fiancé and I had drinks aboard this afternoon and just loved the floating Upper Deck restaurant and bar. 

Fab for making the most of Bank Holiday sunshine, with great views of London from the deck of the Thames-side ship. 

Go see! 

http://rshispaniola.livebookings.biz/

Into The Woods

Today we saw the Disney film adaptation of Sondheim's stage classic "Into The Woods". 

The film opens with James Corden as the Baker narrating; however for some reason director Rob Marshall rides roughshod over the "Once upon a time" fairy tale opening herald and we lose the impact of the music as punctuation; instead the orchestra drifts in mid-phrase and we have to listen to Corden mumble his way through the book. In the opening moments of the film, what should be spine-tinglingly exciting exposition, is really marred by Corden's shopping list narration. In these few bars, Sondheim is setting up his archetypal fairy tale (ready for its demise) - this is not a magical start.

As we get further into the story, we follow Cinderella's journey prepping for the ball, and here Anna Kendrick does a sturdy job. However, by the time we arrive at Little Red meeting the Wolf, there is very little that can save "Hello, Little Girl". Everything about this number is bizarre, from the casting of Johnny Depp (who looks like he should be filming another Burton horror) to the costuming and the direction. Because of the decision to cast Little Red young, the dynamic between the two - often played as adult seduction - becomes paedophillic, but it's not something acknowledged in the acting decisions. The music and lyrics suggest the Wolf does more to Little Red than devour her, slapping the Disney logo on the film doesn't whitewash that, so it plays as a very confused scene. 

The next number "The Spell Is On My House" for me, highlights why Corden is a poor choice for the Baker - his wife is later to remark that he has become "passionate, charming, considerate, clever" and yet, Corden's quippy, quirky baker is all ready all those things this early on. Perhaps a wetter, duller Baker would have been a better choice, someone that grows, with the story, that makes an emotional journey, not just a forested one. 

With a lot of the songs loved by stage audiences cut out, we soon find our way to the Baker saving Little Red from the gut of the Wolf; Lilla Crawford rings in a nice performance however her youth doesn't allow her to understand what she's singing about and so we're given a pretty and catchy rendition of "I Know Things Now" but it doesn't mean anything. She might be one to watch as she grows up, though. 

In "A Very Nice Prince" we see the blossoming relationship of the Baker's Wife and Cinderella and Emily Blunt as the Wife begins to really shine; her soft, naturalistic approach to the libretto helps her in leaps and bounds and what she lacks in vocal agility she makes up for by creating an honest character and the dynamic is good between the two women. 

With further liberal musical edits, we lose the epic countdown song "The First Midnight" - a song that although not really furthering the narrative emphasises the Witch's power and impatience and will later justify the Witch's parting ballad "The Last Midnight".

On we head to Jack's "Giants in the Sky" where Daniel Huttleston's lack of diction means we lose 95% of the lyrics and odd direction sees him scrambling around in a tree. It's, again, a shame, GItS is one of my favourite numbers and you can't help but get the feeling that it's rushed through and brushed over because the role isn't being played by a Hollywood A-Lister; again, as with Little Red, I'd veer towards casting Jack as a young adult, somewhere along the lines of High School Musical-aged Zac Effron. 

Thank God for "Agony" in which Chris Pine gives the performance of the film, perfectly pitching his narcissistic Charming as the two princes peacock around in a brilliantly choreographed moment set on a fairy tale style cliff-top water fall. Fab! 

We miss the reprise of "A Very Nice Prince" and arrive at the Baker and his wife singing "It Takes Two" - this is an awkward number for this pair as there seems to be little romantic chemistry between Corden and Blunt, and the vibe is more of sibling rivalry, which is disappointing.

Minus "The Second Midnight" we plough straight into Meryl Streep singing "Stay With Me" at Rapunzel. Yes, I do mean, 'at'. Finally we get a glimpse of the Witch the people might actually be scared of, because up until now Streep seems to have played the role of the odd old lady from nextdoor, not a Brothers Grimm wicked witch. 

"On The Steps Of The Palace" sees Kendrick making a good effort of thinking-through Sondheim's lyrics but at times we lose her train of thought and she's just singing into a camera. 

Heart-renchingly, the show-stopping ensemble-sung end to Act One, "Ever After" in which the characters celebrate the belief that they can live 'happily ever after', is cut from the soundtrack and is given to the orchestra as very distant underscoring. It's a real shame as, for me, this number (and its later reprise) is the crux of the story, the idea that the perfect happy ending is ultimately unfulfillable and evil has a habit of triumphing over good; so be careful what you wish for. With this we don't see the reprise of the Prologue and so lose the powerful idea of the contrast between what you wish for and what you really want. We also say goodbye to the Agony reprise, in which the two princes lament their sexual frustration and unhappiness as husbands, and the Witch's Lament. Because this audience haven't heard Cinderella's Prince long for another woman, the seduction of the Baker's Wife in "Any Moment" comes rather out of the blue and renders both characters less likeable. 

Emily Blunt then goes on to give a brilliant version of "Moments In The Woods", beautifully thought through, but inexplicably given several General American vowel sounds throughout. ???

"Your Fault", a speedy song for the Baker, Cinderella, Little Red, the Witch and Jack, written in the patter style, is rendered completely unintelligible by Huttlestone and I don't have anymore to say about it than that. 

Meryl Streep's "The Last Midnight" is on the whole a success; however I have one point to make here about her casting. Without being ageist, I want to raise the issue everyone is ignoring: after the Witch drinks the milk potion she is supposedly transformed into 'a beautiful young woman'; now, Meryl Streep is a very attractive woman, beautiful even, but I can't help but feel that this role would have been better suited to a younger actress initially made up with prosthetics, as Streep was, and then revealed to be an utterly gorgeous woman in the prime of life. It's a bizarre suspension of disbelief we have to make when Rapunzel fails to recognise her mother in her new look, when she looks near identical, except with blue hair and make-up! 

We lose "No More" between the Baker and his father and, presumably under Disney terms, we lose the death-by giant-crushing of Rapunzel. As a result we amble on to "No One Is Alone", sung by Cinderella to Little Red and by the Baker to Jack. Here, both Kendrick and Corden shine. It's a lovely moment and it's well-played by all. The prize for pleasantly surprising vocals goes to Corden whose soft tone is perfect for the lullaby feel of the song. 

We hear the reprise of this number as the spirit of the Baker's Wife urges her husband to look after their infant child, telling him to relay their story to him. In response the Baker re-starts the narration we heard him mumble through at the start, and in so doing arguably setting the entire film as his re-telling of the story to his baby and the audience of surviving fairy tale characters. It's an odd directorial decision and it's one that concludes the film as the reprise of "Ever After" is cut, including Cinderella's final utterance of pessimism: "I wish"."

On the whole, Into The Woods is a good watch; it's visually beautiful and its all-star cast is sure to pull in the punters, but be prepared for a Disney-afied version of Sondheim's dark and twisted tale on the stories of the Brothers Grimm; there are occasional moments of brilliance but there are others that are 'grim' in a whole different sense.

Barnaby's Hair

I'm a really fussy customer when it comes to hairdressers, and since moving from Wales I've deliberately dodged trying to find a new salon. However, I finally braved it and booked myself in at Barnaby's in Highbury Park - and they were BRILLIANT. 

The staff were really friendly and relaxed, so it made everything that bit less scary! My hairdresser was HATTIE and she completely transformed my mop of badly-dyed split-ended hair into a great choppy bob - and I'm thrilled! 

Over the years I've done my fair share of nodding and grimacing despite not being happy with a cut, but Hattie really listened to what I wanted and helped me decided on what we were doing. 

She's brilliant; the salon's brilliant and, at £37 for wash, cut, blow dry and style - it's great value. Go! 

http://www.allinlondon.co.uk/directory/1177/45886.php

The Winchester, Angel, Islington

We were looking for a good Sunday roast, that didn't cost the earth, when we stumbled across The Winchester (N1) and its "2 for £20" offer. 

When I phoned to book a table, I was asked for a name, I gave it and spelled it for the server and was told that I'd "said 'Anna' and then spelled something stupid" - her words, not mine. Anyhow, once we'd established my "stupid" name, I went ahead and completed our table booking for the Sunday lunch seating. 

We arrived, ungreeted and had to resort to aimlessly wandering through the bar area to find a server, eventually we found her, having a coke at the bar. Obviously. 

Once at our table for two, snugly nestled into a cramped corner, we managed approximately five minutes of rave-grotto-style flash lighting before we had to ask to move tables. I have photo-sensitive seizures and am definitely more prone to lights acting as an irritant, however my partner does not and even his head was pounding - this shouldn't be an unreasonable demand; however, our waitress had all the compassion (and capability for customer service) of a yeti and seemed totally bemused by this request. Eventually after a great deal of faffing we managed to get the mini-disco switched off and hoped to continue with our much anticipated roasts. But first I had to swap my broken chair for a safer one. 

Whilst waiting, I had a clear view of the hatch into the kitchen and I was treated to the sight of one of the team fingering my potatoes onto my plate - yum...

The roasts arrived at the table; we'd both opted for beef. They had everything you'd want - meat, potatoes, cabbage (red and green), parsnips, horseradish, carrots, roasted garlic - the lot, but it was all in a rather bizarre ratio: I personally think a roast needs more than two potatoes (even groped ones) and two baby carrots. All the veg was underdone and the parsnips near raw. That said, the beef itself was DELICIOUS and the meat portion was more than plenty. So, thumbs up for beef. 

All in all, I was disappointed by The Winchester, by its food, but moreover by its appalling customer service. This is one Winchester I wouldn't go to again, not even in a zombie apocalypse. 

http://thewinchesterbar.com/

Somerset House Ice Rink

It's one of London's most famous Christmas institutions and this year the Somerset House Ice Rink is just as popular as it's ever been. We headed along to see what the deal was. 

Ticket prices start from £7.50 so it's easy to see why the ice rink set in the neoclassical courtyard is so popular; however, even if you don't feel like skating, it's well worth a visit - to watch the people that do! 

The rink attracts skaters of all ages and abilities and is supervised throughout by stewards who are sturdy skaters, happy to help and very friendly. It's open all day and for your money, you get an hour on ice, which seems plenty of time to freeze your socks off and fall over at least three or four times. 

Alongside the ice rink is the front-facing Skate Lounge in which you can enjoy a range of drinks and snacks whilst keeping a close eye on the skaters whizzing past; if you're feeling more extravagant, you can tuck in to a Fortnum and Mason's Afternoon Tea at the Fortnum's Lodge in Somerset House's Christmas Arcade. 

I'd recommend wrapping up, getting a hot drink and standing rink-side watching the skaters take tumbles, try out new moves and edge their way around the sides - it's great fun to watch without having to get cold, wet and sore yourself! If you go on a Tuesday evening, you'll be serenaded by the choir singing Christmas carols!

Somerset House's Ice Rink is open NOW until the 11th January 2015; you can skate Christmas Eve and Boxing Day, it is however closed on Christmas Day. 

Tickets

Visit Ticketmaster
or call 0844 847 1520

Session Times
08.45 - 09.45* / 10.00 - 11.00 / 11.15 - 12.15 / 12.30 - 13.30 / 13.45 - 14.45 / 15.00 - 16.00 / 16.15 - 17.15 / 17.30 - 18.30 / 18.45 - 19.45 / 20.00 - 21.00 / 21.15 - 22.15 / 22.30 - 23.30*

The Southbank Winter Festival

One of the many things going on in Central London this advent is the Southbank Centre's Winter Festival which runs until the 11th January 2015; my partner and I went along to see what the bankside had to offer...

 The highlight of the market is the Christmas tree maze which features over three hundred trees, all lit up with twinkly lights - it costs £4 to enter (which seems a little steep in light of the fact that it's open for three months, ergo will certainly recoup the cost of the trees/lights) and on making it to the centre of the maze, all children receive a Christmas pressie. It's very pretty after-dark and it's really rather magical in its setting alongside the Thames. 

Photo: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/winter-festival

Sat underneath a huge - apparently 'designer' - Christmas tree, sits the Christmas Tree Cafe which looks very tempting and, again, very pretty; however, on heading up there, it's all a little lacklustre, and doesn't feel in any way Christmassy - it'd put this down to the accompanying drum and bass soundtrack, which is nothing but isolating, incredibly grating and an odd juxtaposition to the family-orientated festival. Each to their own, but not for me. 

Photo: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/winter-festival

I'm dating a cider-hater; however, the Rekorderlig Cider Lodge at the heart of the Udderbelly complex looks very welcoming, cosy and, done-up it's Scandinavian style, very Christmassy indeed! Here you can tuck into traditional Scandi street food as well as sampling the pop-up bar. 

Photo: http://www.southbankcentre.co.uk/whatson/festivals-series/winter-festival

The Southbank Centre Express is the little red train that is sure to be a hit with the young ones in your family. You can jump aboard at Hungerford Bridge and travel along the riverbank, up to Festival Pier and back, for the price of £4. I was horribly tempted to become a passenger on the pint-sized choo-choo however, my sensibility, my tight-fistedness and the sheer embarrassment of my better half, prevented me - I did make him take a picture though...

If you want to rocket yourself into Christmas and you've got the time to potter around, head down to the Southbank and have a look at what it's offering up this Christmas; if any of the above don't take your fancy, make like we did: grab a mulled wine, wander through the Christmas Market chalets, and enjoy the Thames all lit-up of an Advent evening.


The Southbank Winter Festival, in association with Natwest:

Tuesday 11th November - Sunday 11th January 2015
Monday to Thursday 10am – 9pm 
Friday and Saturday 10am – 10pm 
Sunday 10am – 9pm

www.southbankcentre.co.uk

Christmas in London Shops

Every Christmas, I love going into stores and oggling their Christmas displays; so this year, now that I'm in London, I've got plenty to choose from. This week, I went pottering to see what Central London has to offer its customers for 2014...

SELFRIDGES - Oxford Street
5/10

Although originally established in the early 1900s by an American, Selfridges has come to be a symbol of 'the British department store' and so I had high expectations for it's Christmas set-up.

The 2014 lay-out is designed as a 'Christmas Emporium' and the store's decorations and gift ideas are all situated on the fourth floor together. To be honest, it lacks 'wow' factor and it feels like the emphasis has been placed on re-marketing their stock as 'Christmas gifts' and not on creating a specifically Christmas-themed shopping experience. 

LIBERTY - Regent Street

9/10

In true Liberty fashion, their Christmas Shop is a refreshingly quirky take on the season's trends; here you can pick up a dainty decoration for a few pound or blow a couple of grand on a life-sized polar bear! 

Because the store has an innately cosy, close-knit, homely feel to it, the time you spend in it is relaxed; I could happily browse the day away, nestled in the beamed rooms of Liberty. Perfect for an easy-going shop; especially if you're looking for unique decorations and pressies (- great to see the ever popular Gisela Graham decorations in-store: a reliable and reasonable favourite for Christmas-time!)

JOHN LEWIS - Oxford Street

8/10

The housewife's staple store, John Lewis was high on my list to check out, and they've got some lovely things in stock (including the adorable Monty the Penguin) and it's all beautifully laid out for customers to see, but it's frustratingly over-priced and it rather takes the shine off the products. If you've got the cash to splash, or if you've got little ones who'd like their picture taken with Monty, it's worth a visit; if not, you're better off somewhere else. 

THE CHRISTMAS SHOP - Tooley Street 

10/10

This shop was recommended to my partner and I by a friend, and we went along, with some trepidation; we were sure that it'd be lovely, but very pricey; to our delight, it wasn't: The Christmas Shop is a little bundle of joy, hidden away in the Hay's Galleria, near London Bridge; the stock is good quality and they keep prices low; we picked up two large fireplaces stockings, two Victorian decorations and a gold tree-top star for £12 - that'd buy you a packet of ribbon in John Lewis. The staff are ultra friendly and the whole experience feels akin to that of visiting a Santa's grotto. I'd heartily recommend it: great stock, great prices, great central location; great service. 

HARRODS - Brompton Road 

8/10

Another 'quintessentially British' store, but one has lost that vibe somewhere along the way. Harrods have opted for a very chic Christmas shop, with a collection of trees dressed in varying styles: a mood-board selection to tempt the customer; there really is something for everyone. However, here, the things that caught my eye were the Scandinavian-style decorations that would fit in with our rustic Christmas home and the miniature cat/dog tree decorations that would fit in with my pet obsession! 

More than the goods on sale, the best aspect of the Harrods Christmas shop is the customer service, the staff here seem to go above and beyond; we were served by Mark, who took us round the shop, answering our every question and pandering to our every whim. 

In conclusion, don't be tempted to blow every penny you have in the biggest stores, shop around; there are some gorgeous Christmassy bits and bobs out there if you are prepared to look for them - we found easy-to-bulk-out Christmas wreaths, pretty napkins, gold bean chaining and candy canes in Poundland and you'd never guess they were a pound a piece; similarly, Butlers, Tiger, Paperchase, Tesco and Sainsburys all have decorations and gift ideas in-store and on-line, so enjoy hunting!